‘of colors and aches’ | 2020 -
It's not unusual for people who live with mental illnesses to anthropomorphize their experiences. This is usually an urge to reconcile and rationalize the irrational and the involuntary. In this series, titled 'Of Colors and Aches,' I use whimsical creatures and animal totems as stand-ins for diseases of the mind: manic depression, dissociation, and paranoia. The creatures are loud and visible, tangible, potent. Some of them may even look familiar. Bits and pieces of words are sprinkled throughout, devoid of meaning, invoked only for their aesthetic. The colors are bright, bold, and childlike because I think mental illness can be depicted in ways that aren't traditionally dark or violent. The violent yearning for utopia is one of the most natural human impulses, and art is therapeutic for the disquiet mind.
‘OF COLORS AND ACHES: I’
Mixed media on canvas | 48x48” | 2020. Exhibited at Hecksher Museum.
‘OF COLORS AND ACHES: II’
Mixed media on canvas | 48x48” | 2022 - WIP
‘OF COLORS AND ACHES: III’
Mixed media on canvas | 48x48” | 2021
‘OF COLORS AND ACHES - TRIPTYCH’
‘Of colors and aches’ triptych | 2020 -